Has the Sith Lord Finally Made an Appearance?

Note: The following story contains spoilers from “The Acolyte” Episode 8.

Star Wars’ first live-action dive into The High Republic era has wrapped up with the finale of “The Acolyte.”

Leading the series is Amandla Stenberg, who explores the rise of the Sith and the dark side following a prolonged period of Jedi dominance. The Jedi, who have been in control for quite some time, face a new challenge by the end of the finale. Here’s an analysis of “The Acolyte” Episode 8.

Following Mae (Stenberg) uncovering the truth about Sol (Lee Jung-jae) killing the witch coven that raised her, and Osha (Stenberg) sensing her sister kill her former master without a weapon, a race back to Brendok ensued.

Predictably, the group got separated. Sol and Qimir (Manny Jacinto) engaged in another intense battle in the same courtyard where the Jedi killed Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith) 16 years earlier. Meanwhile, Mae attempted to reason with Osha, who had been misled for years by Sol about their mother’s demise. Soon, everyone was embroiled in the conflict.

Sol gained the upper hand in his duel with Qimir, but just as he was about to defeat the Sith, Mae intervened and disarmed the Jedi Knight. Instead of killing Sol, Mae tossed away his saber, fracturing the kyber crystal inside and demanding Sol admit the truth. Although he confessed, he tried to justify his actions by claiming he did the right thing since Mae and Osha are not actually sisters but the same person. Mother Aniseya had tapped into the vergence in the Force on Brendok to create life, a concept familiar to Star Wars fans.

Osha overheard Sol’s confession and, rather than heeding his pleas, learned to kill a Jedi without a weapon. Using the Force, she choked Sol to death and, in doing so, bled his lightsaber’s kyber crystal from blue to red.

As this transpired, Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) arrived on the planet. Her Jedi searched for the “sisters” while she discovered Sol’s body and sensed Qimir’s surprising survival.

The twins attempted to escape outside the coven’s stronghold but were soon found by Qimir. With the Jedi close behind, Osha agreed to leave with Qimir and train in the dark side if he erased her memory. He complied, leaving the Jedi with Mae but gaining little information from her.

The season concluded with Vernestra fabricating the events to the Senate and Jedi council, pinning all blame on Sol. She omitted any mention of the twins or Qimir. However, Vernestra asked Mae for help tracking down the two, who are seen preparing to train together. Finally, she sought a private conversation with Jedi Master Yoda.

It was revealed that Osha and Mae are the same person. Mother Aniseya used a vergence in the Force on Brendok to create life, which explains the coven’s reverence for them.

A Force vergence is an exceptionally potent, naturally occurring concentration of the Force. Such areas often see extreme Force interactions. Locations in canon featuring vergences include the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the planet Jedha, and the cave from “Empire Strikes Back.”

When Osha killed Sol with a Force choke, she held his cracked lightsaber and executed an event called “bleeding.” Bleeding a kyber occurs when a dark side user bends the crystal to their will, channeling significant dark side power. This act doesn’t bode well for Osha’s future.

A Force user can also purify a bled kyber crystal. Notably, Ahsoka Tano purified two bled crystals, resulting in her white lightsabers.

While many issues were resolved, several questions remain for a potential second season:

Who was the man in the cave?

The biggest mystery is the identity of the figure who watched Qimir and Osha leave for Brendok. With gnarled hands, red eyes, and a dark hood, it is speculated this could be Darth Plagueis. This theory is supported by the revelation that Osha and Mae were created through the Force, a skill associated with Plagueis.

“It’s not a story the Jedi would tell you,” Palpatine tells Anakin in Episode III. “It’s a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis… was a Dark Lord of the Sith so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side, he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying.”

He continues, “he became so powerful, the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power. Which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew. Then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. It’s ironic. He could save others from death, but not himself.”

So the real question now is: Did we potentially see Plagueis, and is Qimir actually a young Palpatine, the apprentice who killed Plagueis?

What’s Qimir’s connection to the Knights of Ren?

The show suggests a connection between Qimir and Kylo Ren. From Qimir’s attire to his combat style, there are strong parallels to the Knights of Ren. Musical motifs of Kylo Ren’s theme also play during Qimir’s scenes.

How are Vernestra and Qimir connected?

It’s likely Vernestra once trained Qimir. Vernestra is old, but Qimir has hinted at being far older than he appears. Scars on his back could have resulted from Vernestra’s lightsaber whip.

What is Yoda’s role?

Yoda’s brief appearance in Episode 8 suggests he will play a more significant role in a potential second season. How he fits into the story remains to be seen.

All episodes of “The Acolyte” are now streaming on Disney+.

Source: TheWrap